The Night Shift Before Christmas

Introduction

Let Little Big Stuff serve up a down-home Christmas feast for your ears, eyes and hearts this season with the new musical for kids, The Night Shift Before Christmas. Join the other “night-owls” at Bethlehem’s only 24-hour roadside restaurant, the Falafel House!

Summary

Owner Mo has announced that the overnight business is just too slow, even with the recent census crowds, to justify staying open all night anymore. But head waitress Flo has a heart for those night-shift shepherds, the local innkeeper and the other regulars who frequent the eatery in the wee hours for their signature falafels and MLTs (mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich).

Mo’s complaint that “nothing ever happens at night in this sleepy little town” goes down the drain with the dirty dishwater when a brilliant light splits the darkness over the fields outside of town, and surprised shepherds burst through the doors with a stunning tale of angels and an amazing birth announcement. Soon, the late-night crowd is bristling with excitement to join the shepherds to see and worship the long-awaited Savior, born during the night shift — right there in Bethlehem!

Featuring all the menu items you expect from Little Big Stuff – ultra-cool songs, solid Biblical message, fun characters and story that kids love and adults appreciate – you can dish up an unforgettable Christmas for your kids this year with The Night Shift Before Christmas.

Approximate Performance Time

39 minutes

Cast List/Character Descriptions

There are 18 speaking roles available for casting in The Night Shift Before Christmas. Any of the roles may be played by a boy or a girl with only slight name and gender modifications in the script. The indications below show how we recorded them on the demonstration recording. Many roles could be played by older youth or adults.

She’s in charge. She is the epitome of the gruff person who has a heart of gold. She’s the perfect example of a follower of Christ: No pretense, no claims of righteousness, just a child-like (but gruff) seeking heart.

8

Mo

Falafel House Co-Owner, Flo’s Husband, Cook

boy

He thinks he’s in charge, but Flo really runs the place

7

Lydia

“New Girl” Waitress, first day on the job

girl

Very new at the restaurant. She’s a believer in prophesy, and also very childlike, but in a way totally opposite of Flo. Flo has “been there, done that.” Lydia is just experiencing the world.

8

Ms. Hala

Owner of the Sabbath Inn across the street from the Falafel House

girl

Very demonstrative, easily upset. A little A.D.D.

5

Tommy

Shepherd

boy

Everything is always bad news, until he experiences the “good news.”

6

Tammy

Shepherd

girl

All shepherds are very excitable, and very dedicated to their work. They enjoy the company of the patrons at Falafel House and are sad to hear that it will not be continuing with the night shift.

Questions or Special Requests?

Are you hoping to record your performance on video and make DVDs or put it up on the web? Please don't hesitate to contact us for this license or any other special requests or questions and we will be happy to help! Visit the Contact Page for more information.

Listen to the Musical

Dear Director,

We have provided the entire audio recording of all our musicals on this site to assist you in thoroughly evaluating the musical. We invite you to listen as many times as you wish, and even to invite your assistants or other choir helpers to come here to help you in evaluating the musical.

However, we ask you to please understand that we have not posted the recording here so that your choir members may utilize this audio to learn the musical, thereby avoiding purchase of the printed scores and/or recordings which are available for sale. Producing a great musical like this requires much work by dedicated writers, and much expense on the part of the publisher.

Simply put, if you use this free audio recording, which is provided for your convenience in evaluating the musical, as the tool to teach the music to the children in the choir instead of purchasing the products for the children, then we cannot afford to create musicals like this. We rely on the income from the purchase of our products (including some great lower-cost options like Bulk CDs, reproducible scripts and lyrics, and reproducible recordings) to fund the expense of producing this project for you.

Thank you for understanding!

Promo Video

Graphics Files

We've provided graphic files for you to download to use for posters, bulletins, ads, and tattoos (well, be careful on that one!). These files may be downloaded and used in conjunction with your performance for no charge. Click the thumbnails below to enlarge.

How to Buy Our Stuff

You can purchase everything you need right here on littlebigstuff.com by adding items to your cart, or you can purchase any of the physical products from one of our Authorized Dealers listed below (reproducible and licensed items are only available from Little Big Stuff directly).

REPRODUCIBLE OPTIONS

Save money, enjoy more flexibility

We are happy to offer these special licensing options to make your life easier:

Reproducible Script & Lyrics

We provide you with a master file of the drama script and song lyrics (text only, no music score), and a license granting you legal permission to print copies for your kids, copy and paste into PowerPoint or other projection program to use in rehearsals and performance, print on a white board or flip chart. In fact, you can do all of these if you wish.

You tell us the total quantity of users, and you pay $2 per user regardless of whether you print out copies for them every week, or use only projection, etc. The fee is not “per copy,” but “per user.” If you pay for 25 now, and end up with 35 later, you just return here, log in to your account, and pay for the additional users. Or, if the quantity you need to add is less than the default minimum of 15 allowed by the shopping cart, please just email us at [email protected], and tell us how many more you need.

Along with the huge cost-savings, this option offers great flexibility in that you can easily edit the script, allowing you to add or subtract characters, change names, divide up parts, etc., before printing and distributing to your kids. You can also add in staging cues to fit your situation, or add your own director notes or instructions. You may also print copies to send home, print other copies to keep at church or school, print more copies to send home when the first ones are lost ;-), so that no one ever needs to be caught without their copy.

Reproducible Script & Lead Sheets

Similar to the Script & Lyrics, but the songs are single-stave vocal line scores (just like the choral book) presented in PDF files, while the drama script comes as an easy-to-edit Microsoft Word file. This also offers a tremendous cost savings at just $3.25 per user.

Reproducible Demo Recording

Burn your own CDs for just $5 per copy. We provide you with a license granting you full legal permission to either copy an existing CD (perhaps the CD that comes in the back of the Review Pack), or download the recording in MP3 format. Of course, you may prefer to purchase our Bulk CD 10-packs for $59.99 (essentially $6 per disc), or you may choose this reproducible option for $5 per copy.

In addition to the cost savings, this can provide some additional flexibility. You can opt for any quantity (5 copy minimum), and not be constrained to quantities of 10. Before burning your CD copies, you can choose exactly what you want on the copied CDs. For example, you may want to leave off the recorded drama dialog on the copies that most of the kids receive, and only include it on copies that the actors receive.

Prefer to purchase from one of these fine dealers?

These Authorized Dealers carry all Little Big Stuff physical products. Click on the logo to open the dealer’s website in a new window (reproducible and licensed items are only available from Little Big Stuff directly):

800-368-7421

800-345-6296

800-753-6753

800-241-3667

Little Big Stuff physical products may also be available from your preferred Music or Christian Products Store. Contact your store and ask for it by name. If they don’t have it in stock, all they have to do is ask nicely, and we'll be happy to supply them!

Red Carpet Resources

We're here to help!

Questions about our musicals? Uncertain about what things might require permission? Not sure which products you need to purchase, or what your rights are once you've purchased them? We are available to answer your questions, and will do our very best to address your needs.

Simply click the button below to jump to our simple contact form, and we'll come running (well, figuratively, at least!). We want you and your kids to have a great experience with every Little Big Stuff musical

REPRODUCIBLE OPTIONS

Save money, enjoy more flexibility

We are happy to offer these special licensing options to make your life easier:

Reproducible Script & Lyrics

We provide you with a master file of the drama script and song lyrics (text only, no music score), and a license granting you legal permission to print copies for your kids, copy and paste into PowerPoint or other projection program to use in rehearsals and performance, print on a white board or flip chart. In fact, you can do all of these if you wish.

You tell us the total quantity of users, and you pay $2 per user regardless of whether you print out copies for them every week, or use only projection, etc. The fee is not “per copy,” but “per user.” If you pay for 25 now, and end up with 35 later, you just return here, log in to your account, and pay for the additional users. Or, if the quantity you need to add is less than the default minimum of 15 allowed by the shopping cart, please just email us at [email protected], and tell us how many more you need.

Along with the huge cost-savings, this option offers great flexibility in that you can easily edit the script, allowing you to add or subtract characters, change names, divide up parts, etc., before printing and distributing to your kids. You can also add in staging cues to fit your situation, or add your own director notes or instructions. You may also print copies to send home, print other copies to keep at church or school, print more copies to send home when the first ones are lost ;-), so that no one ever needs to be caught without their copy.

Reproducible Script & Lead Sheets

Similar to the Script & Lyrics, but the songs are single-stave vocal line scores (just like the choral book) presented in PDF files, while the drama script comes as an easy-to-edit Microsoft Word file. This also offers a tremendous cost savings at just $3.25 per user.

Reproducible Demo Recording

Burn your own CDs for just $5 per copy. We provide you with a license granting you full legal permission to either copy an existing CD (perhaps the CD that comes in the back of the Review Pack), or download the recording in MP3 format. Of course, you may prefer to purchase our Bulk CD 10-packs for $59.99 (essentially $6 per disc), or you may choose this reproducible option for $5 per copy.

In addition to the cost savings, this can provide some additional flexibility. You can opt for any quantity (5 copy minimum), and not be constrained to quantities of 10. Before burning your CD copies, you can choose exactly what you want on the copied CDs. For example, you may want to leave off the recorded drama dialog on the copies that most of the kids receive, and only include it on copies that the actors receive.

Digital Download Available

on iTunes

The complete recording
as well as individual songs
are available on
iTunes.

Click the button below or simply search
iTunes by the title of the musical.

Digital Download Available

on iTunes

The complete recording
as well as individual songs
are available on
iTunes.

Click the buttons below or simply search
each store by the title of the musical.

A Note About the Graphics

You may use these files free of charge to create web and print promotional materials for your performance. You may use these graphics to create any backdrops or set pieces, as well as activities and materials for rehearsal.

You may not use these graphics to create screen-printed shirts without further permission from us, and without paying additional licensing fees. Because we are also “in the t-shirt business,” we must license you and collect certain fees if you create your own t-shirts using our proprietary designs and graphics. Contact us at [email protected] to inquire further.

NOTE: These files are provided as Adobe Illustrator PDF files. As PDF files, they can be opened and read like any PDF in Adobe Acrobat, Preview on a Mac, etc. However, as Illustrator PDFs, they have the added virtue of retaining the design “layers” when opened in Adobe Illustrator. In Illustrator, they can be edited, and can be resized to virtually any dimensions without losing quality. If you have questions about working with these Illustrator PDFs, please consult a designer who works with Adobe design programs, or consult the internet, where you can find many articles addressing this subject.